{"id":199221,"date":"2025-03-03T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=199221"},"modified":"2025-03-12T09:46:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T16:46:47","slug":"redwood-musical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/redwood-musical","title":{"rendered":"Idina Menzel Goes Into the Trees with “Redwood”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you want to feel small and humbled by nature, stand next to a redwood tree; if you want to feel powerful and intertwined with nature, just stand there a little longer. While it might sound like a paradox, it\u2019s merely a matter of perspective\u2014and it\u2019s the message theater and film star Idina Menzel is singing down to us on earth from her temporary home in the canopy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menzel, who co-conceived and stars in the immersive new musical Redwood,<\/em> is taking audiences along on a journey at once deeply personal and wholly universal in its exploration of people\u2019s connection with themselves, each other and the natural world. The show opened on February 13 at the Nederlander Theatre<\/a> on Broadway and tickets are on sale through July 6, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At REI Co-op, we know that time spent outside is more than just recreation: It\u2019s pivotal for our well-being. To better study the correlation between nature and health, the REI Cooperative Action Fund<\/a> has partnered with research and academic institutions exploring how and why and time outdoors can benefit us all. Since 2018, REI has partnered with the University of Washington\u2019s Center for Nature and Health, providing grants to fund research like a 2024 study about the outdoors\u2019 ability to improve a person’s emotional regulation and overall well-being<\/a>. Similar work by another REI Cooperative Action Fund grant partner, the University of California\u2019s Center for Nature and Health, has shown that nature can be an effective community health tool<\/a>, with study participants displaying lower blood pressure and decreased rumination after spending an additional hour a week outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But to harness the healing powers of nature, we need to protect it. Advocating for positive change at the legislative level, the REI Cooperative Action Network<\/a> supports initiatives that protect local and national parks, oceans, and old-growth forests, while increasing outdoor equity and finding climate solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redwoods, for example, are some of the world\u2019s tallest living trees, capable of growing nearly 400 feet tall and surviving thousands of years. They capture carbon, maintain biodiversity and provide food and shelter for wildlife, help contain erosion from wind and water, and have rich Indigenous cultural significance that cannot be replaced. They\u2019re also under threat: Logging, real-estate development and wildfire suppression tactics that stress the trees’ habitats <\/strong>have drastically reduced the United State\u2019s old-growth and mature forests. In 2024, more than 46,000 REI Co-op Members took action with the REI Cooperative Action Network to urge the U.S. Forest Service to protect our old-growth forests<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longstanding efforts to protect these mighty giants directly inspired Redwood<\/em> too: More than a decade ago, Menzel approached writer-director Tina Landau about a story that she couldn\u2019t get out of her mind. In the late 1990s, activist Julia Butterfly Hill<\/a> lived in a redwood tree for 738 days to draw attention to the devastation caused by logging in ancient groves. She saved that tree and sparked an idea for Menzel and Landau that would grow and bend over time, like a sapling reaching up for the sky: How can one person\u2019s relationship to the trees change the world?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Redwood <\/em>isn\u2019t actually about Hill\u2019s 200-foot-tall treehouse, it does go to great heights: Menzel\u2019s character, Jesse, finds herself confronted with a grief that sends her running West, seeking escape and healing, and encounters a little adventure along the way. (Hint: There’s aerial choreography by the Oakland, California\u2013based BANDALOOP<\/a>.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncommon Path recently caught up with Menzel and Landau via email to learn more about the show and the trees that inspired it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u202ffollowing interviews\u202fhave been\u202fedited\u202ffor length and clarity.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"A
Idina Menzel onstage in <\/em>Redwood. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Uncommon Path: What inspired you to create a show that takes place among the redwoods, and what\u2019s your personal relationship with these old-growth trees?<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tina Landau:<\/strong> It was a confluence of events. Idina came to me with an idea about a woman in a tree because she\u2019d been inspired by the real-life story of Julia Butterfly Hill. She was protecting the tree and bringing awareness to the endangerment of our forests.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idina Menzel:<\/strong> This idea of escaping and being able to leave everything behind when you feel the most alone or misunderstood was an intriguing idea to me.\u202fI was inspired by Julia Butterfly Hill\u2014the strength and fortitude it would take to live at the top of a redwood tree, that\u2019s what appealed to me at first.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TL:<\/strong> I\u2019d always been obsessed with trees, and I was exploring the idea of a musical based on Italo Calvino\u2019s book The Baron in the Trees.<\/em> During the same time, I also made several trips to the [northern California] redwoods\u2014and my life was forever changed. I was awed by their size and age and majesty but, more significantly, I learned astonishing things about them. The more I learned about how they grow, survive, resist fire, have communal roots systems, the more I wanted to share their wonders with everyone in the world!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Two
Khaila Wilcoxon (r) explains the lifecycle of a redwood tree to Idina Menzel (l). <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The two of you first discussed this idea almost 15 years ago, before finally picking it back up during the COVID-19 pandemic. That decade and a half, of course, has been a period of tremendous environmental change and challenge worldwide. How has the story changed\u2014and how has it changed you\u2014over that time<\/em><\/strong>?\u202f\u202f<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IM:<\/strong> It\u2019s changed so much over the years.\u202fAs this story started to take shape, I fell in love with the redwoods as a true testament to resilience, standing strong for thousands of years.\u202fWe\u2019ve done many trips up to northern California to actually climb the trees and experience things firsthand, and it\u2019s absolutely changed my perspective on the story that we are trying to tell. One way we\u2019ve been prepping for this show is by learning to climb (and the whole cast is now certified climbers!), which has allowed me to fully immerse myself in Jesse\u2019s life and story.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TL: <\/strong>So much has been discovered about redwoods [throughout the show\u2019s development] and I continue making little adjustments in the script based on recent science and new things I learn. Like most of our planet, redwoods have become increasingly threatened by climate change\u2014but it\u2019s also become clear how redwoods are our great allies in fighting<\/em> climate change. Old-growth, coastal redwoods capture more carbon dioxide from power plants, trucks, cars and the like than any other trees on earth\u2014about triple the amount that tropical rain forests do<\/a>. Learning this, I adjusted our scientist characters\u2019 work so they\u2019re now studying carbon sequestration. How could this not be part of our story? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While conducting research for the show, were you able to partner with any activists or scientists working toward the conservation of old-growth trees?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IM: <\/strong>While creating the show, we worked closely with thought leaders from organizations who are doing amazing work in the environmental protection space. I had a magical day with a man named Tim Kovar from Tree Climbing Planet<\/a>, who is one of the few people permitted to go into the canopy of a redwood, and he took me up there and taught me even more about the redwoods. In return, I sang for him.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TL: <\/strong>I have a video of her singing songs from the show<\/a> while perching on a branch 200 feet in the air!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Being in nature is such a unique experience that seems hard to recreate inside a Broadway theater. How will you bring the experience of being in the redwoods to the room?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IM: <\/strong>Our set is a super special place and concept. It\u2019s immersive and makes you feel like you are in the middle of these trees, or surrounded by stars, or inside Jesse\u2019s head. It feels like a beautiful daydream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TL: <\/strong>Ah yes\u2014exactly! We know we could never recreate the redwood forest inside a theater, so we\u2019re not even trying to. What we are<\/em> trying to capture is the experience of that world through the eyes and heart and mind of our main character. The audience enters a world<\/em>, an experience, more than a place<\/em>. A place, an actual forest, is too literal. Our visuals are more poetic: They are subjective, expansive, surprising, emotional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Do you hope that the show inspires action to protect the redwoods or other wild and natural spaces in the U.S.?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IM: <\/strong>I\u202fhope that by (re)introducing audiences to the redwoods, they leave the show feeling empowered to get involved in activism, environmental or otherwise, and prioritize spending more time in nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TL: <\/strong>What our show offers is \u201cgetting up closer and personal\u201d with one specific redwood.\u202fI hope that by knowing redwoods better, our audiences will be more inclined to check out our list of resources<\/a>, get involved, do more research on their own, spend more time in nature.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Five
The cast of <\/em>Redwood (l to r): Khaila Wilcoxon, Michael Park, Idina Menzel, Zachary Noah Piser, De’Adre Aziza. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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What do you hope audiences take away from the musical?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TL: <\/strong>A sense of their connection to others and to nature. An awareness of how much we all need to link together, as the roots of the redwoods do, and rely on each other to stand tall. Also, inspiration to live, as one of the songs says, \u201cbig and full and deep,\u201d and remember that no matter how much pain or obstacle comes our way: \u201cThere\u2019s still the light \/ There\u2019s still the sky \/ There\u2019s still the leaves \/ That rustle in the breeze.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IM: <\/strong>My hope is that audiences leave the theater feeling a little bit closer to those around them and take solace in the idea of grounding yourself in nature. \u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Advocate for Nature’s Healing Powers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For 87 years, REI Co-op Members have advocated for life outdoors. The co-op is proud to partner with <\/em>Redwood to help bring the power of nature alive both inside and outside the theater. Join the REI Cooperative Action Network<\/a> to ensure everyone can access the healing power of nature. Visit REI.com\/redwood<\/a> to support research that advances and communicates the understanding of the health benefits related to engaging with nature.\u202f<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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If you want to feel small and humbled by nature, stand next to a redwood tree; if you want to feel powerful and intertwined with nature, just stand there a little longer. While it might sound like a paradox, it\u2019s merely a matter of perspective\u2014and it\u2019s the message theater and film star Idina Menzel is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30740,"featured_media":199492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,637],"tags":[2283,795,2219,2278,2217],"internal-tag":[2011],"class_list":["post-199221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-stewardship","tag-broadway","tag-climate-change","tag-cooperative-action-network","tag-nature-and-health","tag-rei-cooperative-action-fund","internal-tag-home-secondary"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/news\/redwood-musical","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Idina Menzel Goes Into the Trees with “Redwood”","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/redwood-musical","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/redwood-musical"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/02\/HERO-Idina-Menzel-in-REDWOOD-2304-Photo-Credit-Matthew-Murphy-and-Evan-Zimmerman-for-Murphy-Made.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/02\/HERO-Idina-Menzel-in-REDWOOD-2304-Photo-Credit-Matthew-Murphy-and-Evan-Zimmerman-for-Murphy-Made.jpg?fit=2000%2C1334"},"articleSection":"News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ever Meister"}],"creator":["Ever Meister"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["broadway","climate change","cooperative action network","nature and health","rei cooperative action fund"],"dateCreated":"2025-03-03T14:00:00Z","datePublished":"2025-03-03T14:00:00Z","dateModified":"2025-03-12T16:46:47Z"},"rendered":"